You could call it "Trial by Twitter." A high profile trial underway in Missoula, Montana, as a former University of Montana quarterback is charged with rape.

Given the ever-expanding use of social media, play-by-play accounts of the trial are recounted as they happen over social media applications like Facebook and Twitter from multiple news outlets. In fact, Montana media outlets have been using the #JohnsonTrial hashtag for any play-by-play accounts from the courtroom.

In the first half of Thursday’s (2/21/13) Voices of Montana we talked about all that and more with former US Attorney Bill Mercer. We also got his take on how the prosecution's case has been going so far- and it didn't sound too good for the prosecution.

This is a perfect example of a case that should not have gone to trial. That is 2-young adults have consensual sex, where one felt obligated and the other didn't experience the fireworks (romance). Outsiders with agenda's to undermine the university's football program jump on board, and it snowballs into a media hyped trial, while two young adults have their lives turned upside down. Not to mention and athletic director and head coach who's careers are now over. The timing with the Penn State incident only added more heat to the fire.